This summer, Britain's teenagers will be able to stop badgering their parents to pay off their mobile phone bills, with the launch of a new service that offers free calls and texts provided users are willing to receive adverts on their phones.
Blyk, a start-up run by the former president of the Finnish mobile firm Nokia, will today announce it has signed deals with advertisers including Coca-Cola, L'Oréal and Buena Vista, part of the Disney media empire, as it works up to a summer launch in the UK.
Blyk, which is aiming for the 16- to 24-year-old market, is also understood to be close to a deal with mobile phone operator Orange to run the service over its network. Orange refused to comment, saying only that it was always on the lookout for partners.
Advertisers are starting to look at mobiles as a useful medium. Google is experimenting with mobile search advertising, tying up partnerships with several operators. In the US, Virgin Mobile has launched Sugar Mama, which gives customers free airtime if they agree to watch adverts and give feedback. Also in the US, Xero Mobile is testing an ad-funded service aimed at college students.